The Paper Cup Alliance, which represents UK cup manufacturers, has claimed that a levy on disposable coffee cups could cost the economy £819 million and result in 11,000 job losses in the coffee retail sector.

Today (5 June) is World Environment Day, which this year has the theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’, tapping into the growing global consensus against single-use plastics.

Independent coffee shop chain Boston Tea Party has banned the sale of single-use coffee cups in its 22 stores from today (1 June), a move which could result in losses of over £1 million.

The Scottish Parliament has announced that it will be banning single-use coffee cups in its main buildings in order to cut down on single-use plastic waste.

On June 5 two campaigns are making high profile stands against plastic pollution in a bid to raise awareness and help change behaviours.

The 6th VinylPlus Sustainability Forum celebrated sustainability achievements and focused on encouraging sustainable practices

Having given £100,000 to fund store’s plastic-free range, Zero Waste Scotland is looking for more businesses with innovative ideas to combat packaging waste.

The European Commission has proposed a full ban on some of the most commonly used and littered disposable plastic products in Europe, including single-use cutlery, plates, drinks stirrers, straws, cotton buds and sticks for balloons.

The final legislative hurdle to creating a more resource efficient Europe has been overcome after the EU Council approved the EU’s Circular Economy Package (CEP) in Brussels on Tuesday.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has presented the final draft of his London Environment Strategy to the London Assembly for consideration, with targets such as becoming a zero-carbon city and reducing the capital’s food waste by 50 per cent by 2030 among the proposals in the revised document.